Useless, beneficial, a social-life killer: teens weigh in on Australia’s plan for child age limits on social media

The Australian government says it plans to bring in legislation by the end of this year to set an age limit on using social media, likely to be between 14 and 16. Photograph: Ian Allenden/Alamy

The prime minister of Australia’s plan to impose an age limit for teenagers to access social media kicked off a debate this week over what the age should be, whether a ban is feasible and if the restriction would be good for kids.

While Anthony Albanese has argued the policy is something parents have called for, and experts in mental health and other industries warn it could force kids into less safe situations, the teens who are affected have largely been absent from discussions.